Save Oakfield Site

The issue

Oakfield Playing Fields (IG6 3HD) is an area of protected Green Belt established in the 1930s, located near the Fairlop and Hainault Central Line underground stations.

The land is currently being used as sports playing fields by many local football and cricket clubs and is complimented by the indoor sporting facilities located at the nearby Redbridge Sports Centre, creating the leading sporting hub for the residents of Redbridge.

Redbridge Council have identified Oakfield Playing Fields as a preferred site for a new housing estate, a primary school and a polyclinic. Council documents suggest the development will potentially remove approximately 75% of the green space and include up to 1,000 flats and terraced properties at this site. There are currently two plans the council have proposed.

A group Redbridge residents and Old Parkonians has already begun to challenge the Council, in favour of keeping the Green Belt land and continuing to use it for sporting purposes. This is based on the following objections:

– Unacceptable loss of Green Belt land when alternative brown field sites have not been fully explored